Upfront

Fortis Announces 200-bed Greenfield Project in Ludhiana

Fortis Healthcare Limited announced a 200-bed greenfield project in Ludhiana and the addition of a 100-bed hospital to be located in the district of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh to its network of hospitals. The hospital in Kangra has a provision to be expanded to 200 beds. Both these hospitals are being set up under the 'asset light model' (land and building will be taken on lease) and would lead to improved capital efficiency at Fortis. These expansions into newer geographies are in line with the company's plan to improve accessibility to affordable quality healthcare in vibrant markets which are healthcare deficient.

The tertiary care hospital at Ludhiana will be Fortis's third hospital in Punjab, following the ones in Mohali and Amritsar. The super speciality hospital is in advanced stages of planning and designing and is expected to be commissioned in 18 to 24 months. Spread over an area of 3.5 acres, the hospital will have a high-end clinical programme with superior patient care services

The Fortis Hospital at Kangra, being started with a local associate, is Fortis's first hospital in Himachal Pradesh as also the first corporate hospital in the state. It would be a full fledged medical facility offering specialised services, including a 24-hour emergency! The hospital is located within the city on the main road connecting Kangra to Dharamshala, McLeodganj, Palampur etc and will therefore provide quality healthcare to a wide catchment area devoid of quality healthcare facilities. The hospital will become operational this year itself.

Said Shivinder M Singh, MD, Fortis, "The hospital at Kangra marks our foray into the hill state of Himachal Pradesh while the one in Ludhiana deepens our presence in Punjab."

EH News Bureau